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                                                                  EXHIBIT (a)(5)
 
                           OFFER TO PURCHASE FOR CASH
                     ALL OUTSTANDING SHARES OF COMMON STOCK
            (INCLUDING THE ASSOCIATED COMMON SHARE PURCHASE RIGHTS)
 
                                       OF
 
                 AMERIWOOD INDUSTRIES INTERNATIONAL CORPORATION
 
                                       BY
 
                           HORIZON ACQUISITION, INC.
                      AN INDIRECT WHOLLY-OWNED SUBSIDIARY
 
                                       OF
 
                             DOREL INDUSTRIES INC.
 
                                       AT
 
                              $9.625 NET PER SHARE
 
THE OFFER AND WITHDRAWAL RIGHTS WILL EXPIRE AT 12:00 MIDNIGHT, NEW YORK CITY
TIME, ON THURSDAY, APRIL 30, 1998, UNLESS THE OFFER IS EXTENDED.
 
To Our Clients:
 
     Enclosed for your consideration is an Offer to Purchase dated April 3, 1998
(the "Offer to Purchase") and the related Letter of Transmittal (which, together
with any amendments or supplements thereto, collectively constitute the "Offer")
relating to the Offer by Horizon Acquisition, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the
"Purchaser"), which is an indirect wholly-owned subsidiary of Dorel Industries
Inc., a Quebec, Canada corporation ("Parent"), to purchase for cash all
outstanding shares of Common Stock, $1.00 par value per share (the "Common
Stock"), including the associated common share purchase rights (the "Rights,"
and together with the Common Stock, the "Shares"), of Ameriwood Industries
International Corporation, a Michigan corporation (the "Company"). We are the
holder of record of Shares held by us for your account. A TENDER OF SUCH SHARES
CAN BE MADE ONLY BY US AS THE HOLDER OF RECORD AND PURSUANT TO YOUR
INSTRUCTIONS. THE LETTER OF TRANSMITTAL IS FURNISHED TO YOU FOR YOUR INFORMATION
ONLY AND CANNOT BE USED TO TENDER SHARES HELD BY US FOR YOUR ACCOUNT.
 
     Accordingly, we request your instructions as to whether you wish to tender
any of or all of the Shares held by us for your account upon the terms and
subject to the conditions set forth in the Offer.
 
     Your attention is directed to the following:
 
     1.  The offer price is $9.625 per Share, net to the seller in cash, without
         interest thereon.
 
     2.  The Offer is being made for all outstanding Shares.
 
     3.  THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF THE COMPANY HAS UNANIMOUSLY APPROVED THE
         OFFER AND THE MERGER AND DETERMINED THAT TERMS OF THE OFFER AND THE
         MERGER ARE FAIR TO, AND IN THE BEST INTERESTS OF, THE SHAREHOLDERS OF
         THE COMPANY AND UNANIMOUSLY RECOMMENDS THAT SHAREHOLDERS ACCEPT THE
         OFFER AND TENDER THEIR SHARES.
 
     4.  The Offer and withdrawal rights expire at 12:00 midnight, New York City
         time, on Thursday, April 30, 1998, unless extended.
 
     5.  The Offer is conditioned upon, among other things, there being validly
         tendered and not withdrawn prior to the Expiration Date (as defined in
         the Offer to Purchase) that number of Shares which,
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         when added to any shares already owned by the Purchaser and Parent,
         represents at least a majority of the Shares outstanding on a
         fully-diluted basis on the date of purchase.
 
     6.  Any stock transfer taxes applicable to a sale of Shares to the
         Purchaser pursuant to the Offer will be borne by the Purchaser, except
         as otherwise provided in Instruction 6 of the Letter of Transmittal.
 
     If you wish to have us tender any of or all of the Shares held by us for
your account, please so instruct us by completing, executing and returning to us
the instruction form attached to this letter. Your instructions to us should be
forwarded promptly to permit us to submit a tender on your behalf prior to the
expiration of the Offer. An envelope to return your instructions to us is
enclosed. If you authorize the tender of your Shares, all such Shares will be
tendered unless otherwise specified on the reverse side of this letter.
 
     The Offer is made solely by the Offer to Purchase and the related Letter of
Transmittal. The Offer is not being made to, nor will tenders be accepted from,
or on behalf of, holders of Shares in any jurisdiction in which the making or
acceptance of the Offer would not be in compliance with the laws of such
jurisdiction. If the securities laws of any jurisdiction require the Offer to be
made by a licensed broker or dealer, the Offer shall be deemed to be made on
behalf of the Purchaser by one or more registered brokers or dealers licensed
under the law of such jurisdiction.
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                        INSTRUCTIONS WITH RESPECT TO THE
                           OFFER TO PURCHASE FOR CASH
                     ALL OUTSTANDING SHARES OF COMMON STOCK
            (INCLUDING THE ASSOCIATED COMMON SHARE PURCHASE RIGHTS)
 
                                       OF
 
                 AMERIWOOD INDUSTRIES INTERNATIONAL CORPORATION
 
     The undersigned acknowledge(s) receipt of your letter, the enclosed Offer
to Purchase dated April 3, 1998 and the related Letter of Transmittal, in
connection with the offer by Horizon Acquisition, Inc., a Delaware corporation
and an indirect wholly-owned subsidiary of Dorel Industries Inc., a Quebec,
Canada corporation, to purchase all outstanding shares of common stock, $1.00
par value per share (the "Common Stock"), including the associated common share
purchase rights (the "Rights," and together with the Common Stock, the
"Shares"), of Ameriwood Industries International Corporation, a Michigan
corporation.
 
     This will instruct you to tender the number of Shares indicated below held
by you for the account of the undersigned, upon the terms and subject to the
conditions set forth in such Offer to Purchase and related Letter of
Transmittal.
 
               Dated: __________, 1998
 
                        NUMBER OF SHARES TO BE TENDERED*
 
                              ______________ SHARES
 
     I (we) understand that if I (we) sign this instruction form without
indicating a lesser number of Shares in the space above, all Shares held by you
for my (our) account will be tendered.
 
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                                  SIGNATURE(S)
 
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                                 PRINT NAME(S)
 
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                               PRINT ADDRESS(ES)
 
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                         AREA CODE AND TELEPHONE NUMBER
 
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                        TAX ID OR SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBER
 
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* Unless otherwise indicated, it will be assumed that all Shares held by your
  firm for my (our) account are to be tendered.
